External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has, on 13 September, in a series of tweets taken up the cause of a British couple who had a baby through surrogacy in India. However, they were compelled to leave their daughter in an orphanage as they were unable to get a British passport for her.

In a tweet, Swaraj stated, "Should orphanage be the destiny of a surrogate baby?"

Chris Newman and Michele Newman are currently in Mumbai on a medical visa which is valid till 7 October. The British consulate has reportedly said that the three-month-old baby - Lily - may not get travel documents in time.

"We can't believe that we could be forced to do the unthinkable and leave our baby in India!" the couple from Surrey in England has written in a petition on change.org.

The petition reads:

"We have already been told twice now by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that we should be prepared to leave Lily. It is madness that UK Government and HMPO is so willing to safeguard the well-being of a baby applicant to ensure that it hasn't been trafficked, that it is happy for that child to be left without its parents in a foreign country with a complete stranger.

"Whilst I understand that checks have to done, I would also hope that common sense would prevail, after all a simple DNA test would prove that Chris is the biological father."

Swaraj questioned British authorities in her tweets and also took a swipe at those who have criticised the government's move towards tougher surrogacy laws. Lily's passport application has been with the UK Home office since 3 June.

Commercial surrogacy is banned in Britain. Will British Government give a British passport to this surrogate Baby ? https://t.co/TNVa7IrG54